we have discovered…embraces this new person. Why are they hugging? Is that Layla’s true form? Is that Lilith? Was this a setup?
“Fuck!” I shout when the scythe doesn’t come.
“Preston, it’s okay.” I glance from my hand to my brother’s voice, freezing when Karston steps in front of me. He places his hands on my shoulders and squeezes. “It’s okay. No one is threatening you.”
“But my magic?” A choked sob wrenches from me. I can’t lose this. It’s all I’ve ever had to be proud of, something I could actually do without making a fool of myself. Every sport I ever tried, I failed at, even running. I mean, who can’t fucking run? I didn’t do great in school, because I always forgot the answers when the tests came. My only friends growing up were my brothers, because I wasn’t cool enough for anyone else.
No boy scouts.
No sports.
No girlfriends.
At least in death, I finally found something I’m good at, and now it’s missing.
“What happened?” I ask him, trying to swallow down the burning in my throat.
“Just take a deep breath, okay? Then I’ll tell you everything,” Karston responds.
I try to follow his recommendation, but then my eyes land on Auston and Brax where they lie on the ground, and I realize Hadley is missing.
Panic rises, squeezing my throat, crushing my chest. “No! Where is she!? Where’s Hadley!?” I flick my gaze to the glowing couple, the Lust Fates, and the winged, horned woman. “Did you do this?” The anger in my voice fades, a desperate wobble taking its place.
I can’t fucking lose her. I can’t survive without her
I’ve just pushed Karston out of the way when Caius tries to stop me, but I walk right through him, pausing when I exit his smoke.
Because the winged woman spins around, and I immediately recognize her.
“Hadley?”
My gaze flickers all over her. She’s not the woman I know, the woman I’ve fallen in love with. Instead, standing before me is a creature the likes of which I’ve never seen before. Huge white wings rustle off her back, looking abnormally large for her small frame, and black horns jut out from her multi-colored hair.
Her body is off too. It shimmers in and out of existence as if she’s not really real. Then I see her hand and my fucking scythe in her grasp. Pain rips through me at the sight. Has she betrayed me? Stolen my powers? Did Lilith do this to me?
The world begins to spin, and I suddenly don’t feel so well. A pained moan escapes me as my vision goes fuzzy, and I fall to a knee.
But then something happens that brings me out of my fog—soft lips descend on my own, and the confusion melts away as my lover's tongue meets mine hungrily. Her hands cup my face, and she pulls away, her blue eyes staring into mine with such love that I feel my heart might explode from the weight of it.
How did I get so damn lucky, to have a woman look at me the way she does? As if she can’t live without me. As if I’m the only man in the world for her.
Well. The latter isn’t exactly true.
But still.
“Silly, Reaper,” she says with a smile, kissing me again. “You’re okay.” Hadley stands up and offers me her hand. Tentatively, I place mine in hers and allow her to pull me up. I open my arms to hug my girl when she disappears right before my eyes, and panic rises again.
“Calm down, Preston, before you give yourself a damn heart attack. Well, can dead people even get heart attacks?” Karston gripes.
Glancing up, I see Aggie and Buttox looking at me like the canary who caught the cat, or was it a parrot? Or was it the cat who caught the canary? What does a canary even look like?
A groan pulls my attention, and I spin back to see Brax and Auston beginning to wake up. I see them lock eyes, then heave themselves up in preparation for battle.
“Will you all just put your cocks away and simmer the hell down? Or does Mama need to give you boys a good spankin’?” Aggie asks with a salacious eyebrow wag. I ignore her, turning to face Hadley, who is now visible once more.
Hadley, who currently has wings and horns.
Hadley, with multicolored hair cascading down her shoulders in luscious waves.
How did I not notice this before?
What the hell is going on?
“Guys,” Hadley calls, holding her hands up in a placating fashion.